


Poison

by Bahar1182



Series: Hold My Hands, Don't Let Me Fall [2]
Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Attempted Murder, Cannibalism, Coup d'état, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Food Poisoning, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Living Together, Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Modern Royalty, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Rape/Non-con, Poisoning, Ruggie "eat the rich" Bucchi, Ruggie's grandmother, Siblings, This Time Literally
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:35:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26585995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bahar1182/pseuds/Bahar1182
Summary: Three years after Ruggie was graduated from Night Raven College, Leona made the decision to pulisıze their relationship. They were supposed to live their lives away from all the royal fuss, but some unfortunate events change their plans.*This is a sequel to Need, but can work by itself*
Relationships: Cheka & Leona Kingscholar, Cheka/Original Character, Kalim Al-Asim/Jamil Viper, Ruggie Bucchi/Leona Kingscholar
Series: Hold My Hands, Don't Let Me Fall [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1940179
Comments: 22
Kudos: 77





	1. Happy Anniversary

**Author's Note:**

> As always, keep in mind that English is not my first language and I suck<3

"Why are you like this?" Ruggie said with a calm voice. Too calm. Scary. "I don't know what you're talking about." No, Leona knew exactly what he was talking about. And for once he was ready to face the consequences.

"Bullshit! I can't even go near my phone because of all the messages I've been getting because SOMEONE decided it was a good idea to tell the whole world we're dating WITHOUT informing me first!" Ruggie's calm voice turned into an irritated and high pitched one. Leona smirked. "But it was a good anniversary gift, right? I've got donuts too."

"Are you trying to fool me with do-"

"I also called your grandma, I'm gonna cook. What do you want?" Leona pulled Ruggie into a tight hug. Ruggie wasn't mad at him for telling everyone else, he was mad at Leona for not telling HIM! But it was a surprise, right? Though, Leona understood it was dumb as soon as he did it. "Meat..." Ruggie murmured.

"You could've been more specific, but I can work with that. Finish your work and get ready before 5."

It had been peaceful, it had been nice. Leona moved out of the Royal Palace as soon as he graduated, which even he didn't know he could. As a prince, he had his duties and he thought he'd always need to be present around the palace. But turned out that wasn't the case. Azul ended up 'accidentally' finding a way for Leona to keep his title and _job_ as a prince and have a more free life than you average prince. The cost was a little bit much, as was everything when it came to Azul. Even though he and Ruggie mostly had the same motivation, Azul had two giant eels besides him to do the job more professionally. He had become an actual mafia boss after graduation. (Not that he ever openly said it, but everyone knew.)

So Leona ended up using his advice and move out. One year later and Ruggie immediately moved in like it was a given. Nothing had changed ever since. Just that they were both actual adults now. Leona left his room to attend meetings at the royal palace and help Frena. Ruggie would sometimes come to pick him up if he was early and play with Cheka to pass time. The guards let him in freely and almost everyone in the palace knew him. Did they know? Of course they knew! They dating publicly since forever. It's just that it was never official _official_. Never **'I wanna spend the rest of my life with this hyena and I don't care about your royalty shit'** official. But now they were. 

But Ruggie had work really hard. He worked two jobs after graduation and continued studying business (again, Azul suggested it, and Ruggie accepted because M O N E Y) he earned the respect of people inside and outside of the palace. If anyone had a problem they would tell Ruggie to tell Leona and Leona would bring it to Frena if he couldn't deal with it himself. Leona decided to stop being the bad guy for Ruggie, and Ruggie tried harder and harder to proudly stand by his side.

"Is it okay for us to be this happy?" Ruggie once said while drunk. Leona stayed silent as Ruggie fell asleep in his arms. But he continued thinking about it every day and realized that they needed a change. You'd either challenge life or life brings you misery out of pure boredom. Or that was what Ruggie's grandmother once said. 

Leona is still amused by her. She's like a weird combination of Ruggie and Frena's wife and it intimidates Leona.

"So... are you still mad?" Leona put his head on Ruggie's shoulder, trying to look as innocent as possible. "Stop that! It's already weird that you turned from someone who tried to kill people twice to a saint, don't you dare using puppy eyes! But no... I'm not mad anymore. You can't disappoint me if I don't have any expectations for you. You'll still be a lazy ca- OUCH!" He pushed Leoa's face away and yelled. "What the hell? Why did you bite me?!"

"Because I have no self-control. Now stop bitching and go finish your homework or whatever. I'm going to go get some stuff for tonight." Leona smirked.

"Who are you and what did you do to my Leona-san?"

"Shut up, if you go out now they just gonna exhaust you with questions. At least I'm intimidating."

About 15minutes later and Leona realized his miscalculation. He was intimidating, but he had also helped the old ladies in the neighborhood enough for them to not be intimidated anymore. As soon as someone recognized him, he was showered with questions from the old ladies and anybody else who had found the courage (again, thanks to the old women) to approach him. Nobody did this before even though everyone knew they were living together, mostly because people didn't know if it was illegal to question the second prince about his love life on the streets. Now it was just considered gossip and journalism to some degree.

That's how Leona got home two hours later, super tired and just DONE! He could sleep for days. His jaw ached from all the talking and biting his lips to keep himself from yelling at everyone; he walked to Ruggie's room and found him completely focused on something on his computer. _Ruggie's_ room was just a room they put every document in. Ruggie just started using it to work and study after some point, so Leona bought him a new desk that suited the room better. (Ending up with Ruggie screaming at him for throwing money away, even though he _loved_ it.) Leona preferred to do work in bed. Even better if Ruggie was sleeping next to him. His smell helped him concentrate.

Leona hugged him from behind. "I'm back." He could hear Ruggie's smirk. "Did the old ladies eat your brain or something? I can't believe you think you're more intimidating than an old tiger who raised three kids all by herself."

"Yeah, I might've underestimated them." Leona smiled, remembering how they complimented Ruggie and said no one was better suited for Leona.

"Did you get me a beer?"

"I got whiskey. Don't drink right now, we're gonna have a guest and I'm not letting you sleep early."

Ruggie turned away and stared at him for a while. Then they both started laughing. 

_'Is it really okay for us to be this happy?'_


	2. This Isn't What I Wanted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shit goes down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a long ass chapter. At least longer than my other works.

"I think it's alright."

Leona looked up from his drink to see Kalim smiling at him. Ever since Kalim had taken charge of the Asim family, they have had developed a better relationship. Kalim wasn't the best student in NRC, but he was a good businessman and definitely way smarter than people gave him credit for. Leona was even complimented for befriending the Asim heir, but he didn't get it. Literally every single living creature in that school was Kalim's friend. What was there to compliment? 

They would drink together every now and then, sometimes with Ruggie and Jamil by their sides and sometimes just two of them. Tonight as well, they were alone. Ruggie was busy with his finals and Jamil... well Leona hadn't bothered to ask. 

"I was also scared, you know? We graduated and Jamil suddenly said he wants to go see the world by himself. Then right before going, he tells me about his feelings. It was confusing and scary and I hated that I didn't say it first. But he came back a lot brighter and warmer than before. So you know? I took my chance. No one could've said anything at that point and now we're married!" Kalim shows his ring happily as he talks. "It's okay Leona. You guys have been through a lot. Just stop stressing and... I don't know... maybe trust Ruggie a little more? We all know how mad he is that you never tell him anything."

That was true. Even Jack had scolded him about it and Leona failed to consider it every single time. "It's not that I don't trust him... I just feel safer if I do everything myself." Leona's eyes wandered around the dining hall to avoid Kalim's gaze. It was annoying. The way Kalim was happier than most people for them and, unlike someone, afford generous help if needed. Really, how did he end up in NRC?

"That's the problem! You can't keep up like this! Just talk and listen to him, he's a smart guy and all. You guys can work together! You know when I and Jamil went for our honeymoon..." 

_'Here we go again.'_ Leona thought. Kalim's endless talking about Jamil was like a time out. He would never shut up once he started unless Jamil came to pick him up or something happened. But it gave Leona time to think. _'Travelling wouldn't be so bad... Honeymoon, huh?'_ His mind danced around the idea of taking Ruggie somewhere that he could just rest and let Leona take care of him. Maybe somewhere he didn't know the language, then he would shut up and just rest. _'Yeah... Next month maybe...'_

It had been six months since he announced it to his family and the people. (Although most people in the capital already knew.) His father didn't seem that happy at first, he murmured something about a child of a criminal before continuing to listen to Leona. But he didn't have enough reasons to deny what his sons wanted, considering he only had started behaving since the hyena had entered his life, so he recognized Ruggie as his son's mate; even though he was cold toward him.

When Leona got back, it was already 2 am. He'd hear teenagers laughing in the streets and a drunk man singing to himself as he flew above the city. But ultimately, it was a quiet night. The sky was clear and the wind felt nice on his skin. Even when he stepped inside, he found Ruggie sleeping for once. He breathed softly in his sleep and his hair was wet, he probably had fallen asleep right after taking a shower. Leona took his clothes off and laid in bed, embracing Ruggie and slowly drying his hair with magic.

"Hmm? Leona-san..? Are you back? what are you-" Leona stopped him. "Shhhh! Go back to sleep." He whispered into the hyena's ear, making his fall asleep again.

What a peaceful night.

So peaceful in fact, that no one could even imagine what came next.

**_**********_ **

The unfamiliar smell woke Leona up. Unlike always, he immediately sat up straight only to find Ruggie on defense mode.

He had a dagger in one hand and his gemstone in another. He looked back at a new awake Leona and gave him a sign. _'There are more than 5'_ The sign was clear and didn't need any further explanation. Ruggie was always cautious of unfamiliar smells since he always had to look out for guards. Leona's mind raced around the possibilities. This certainly wasn't some sort of unharmful surprise, they were here to destroy them for whatever reason. Had his father finally gone mad? Whoever it was, they certainly had underestimated the two people who had the guts to plan on Malleus Draconia's murder.

"Put those in your pants and yawn like you have no idea, then we walk out together," Leona whispered and Ruggie did exactly that. "Good morning, Leona-san." He said in a sleepy voice and got up to put his pants on. "Mornin'" Leona yawned and got up, hiding his gemstone in his underwear as they walked out together.

Well, their apartment was certainly a mess. About 11 armed men waiting for them with their guns in their hands, clearly ready to shoot. A man got one step closer to Leona and Ruggie. He was wearing a suit and seemed unarmed, but the gemstone on his necklace didn't go unnoticed to either of them. "My deepest apologies, dear prince. You must be quite shocked for seeing us like this. We wanted to finish you off the moment we arrived; but you see, I would like to play with you before our job in the palace is done. So I do hope for you to entertain us." Leona and Ruggie exchanged a glance. _So it wasn't the royal family._ Whoever it was, they wished for all the Kingscholars to fall into ruin.

Then it hit Leona.

"So that old woman send you, huh? I knew we shouldn't have just left her be." Ruggie looked at Leona with a questioning look. Leona didn't look back, focusing on the clearly insane guy in front of him. "Yes, she sent me to finish you off. Even she knows how threatening you can be so she gave me this job personally. Oh, by the way, can you please take your gemstone out? Tha's a little nasty." The man shot him a disgusted look.

Leona smirked. "You told me to entertain you, right? Then I'll play with you. The others can play with Ruggie." The hyena laughed and took his dagger out, ready to snap as soon as he was given order. "By the way, who are you again? We need a name to write on your grave, and I'm not generous enough to let your ugly face alone." Leona smirked at the now irritated enemy. "Uh... This is why I don't like hyenas. You just follow his orders, don't you? Well, not that it concerns me... But yes, my name is Stratophanes. You won't need a last name since-"

"Wait, what?" Ruggie questioned. "Strap... what? How do you even write that? Leona-san~ Forget about his name and let's just kill them already." He laughed loudly just to annoy the man. Leona pat his head. "Okay then, go." Ruggie flew from his side, literally. He jumped on the wall held his hand onto one of the windows and stabbed the nearest person in the eye. His scream filled the building and Ruggie saw some of the neighbor kids looking up to see what was going on. He put his finger on his lip and they did the same, a silent promise between them. Then he pulled the curtain and started taking the fight seriously.

"I'm impressed," Said Strato, exited to fight a prince and show off his magic. "I didn't think a lowly hyena would be worth our time. But you have a good eye, don't you?" His gemstone was shining in a light yellow color. Truth be told, he might've been a little jealous of Leona for a lot of reasons. The family he was born in, his talent, and even the fact that he was allowed into NRC. Strato was a sad, jealous man who wanted to prove himself to an old woman by beating up a young man.

Leona didn't give him the chance to use any magic. A few easy spells, the only ones he paid attention to during classes, and the guy dropped his gemstone. Leona grabbed it and whispered. "King's roar!" and the gemstone was gone. "What? You didn't even have aa plan for my unique magic? Now that's just insulting." He smirked, closing the distance between them. "Let's finish this game. I have a nephew to go check on."

**_**********_ **

"Are you done?" Leona grabbed Ruggie's shirt and pulled him away from the corpses. Some of their arms were dismembered and a few body parts were gone. Leona would've thrown up if he didn't know why Ruggie did that. "Hey, Leona-san. This guy's a gull but he didn't even run away. Why did he do this anyway? their all from rich families, so why would they wanna change something?"

Leona gave him a tissue. "Clean your mouth, I explain it later."

A long time ago, there lived a princess who was about to become the queen. She was strong and talented, but spoiled and irresponsible. In the end, her mother decided she wasn't suited to become the queen and gave the throne to her younger brother instead. The young boy grew up to become a good king, but he lacked some of his sister's talents and quirks that could've made her great queen. So he raised his elder son to be whatever he wasn't and tried to give the same amount of attention to the younger one. (Even though he grew up to be a little bitter.) His older son, Frena, became a king that did his best to do better than his father, and the now old man dealt with his sister's schemes in the shadows.

It was something Leona wasn't supposed to know, but he did. His aunt, Lillian, had done a lot of shady stuff trying to hurt the royal family and was banished from the country, but that hadn't stop her. "As far as I could investigate, she used some sort of group of criminals to attack the palace when I was just born so I didn't know anything. But yeah I'm pretty sure she's behind it. The old man knew she was planning on something but ignored it. That wasn't a wise decision now, was it?" He chuckled, noticing Ruggie's silence. "Are you nervous?"

"Hmm..? Yeah... I don't think anybody would expect this. And They sent 11 people only for two of us, What about the palace?"

"They'll be fine, Frena's much stronger than me." He said with a fake annoyed voice which made Ruggie laugh.

_************** _

Yes, Frena was stronger than Leona. But he was also a loving man who put his family first and couldn't fully concentrate when he was worried.

They truly didn't expect that. Frena was woken up with Cheka pulling his hair. "W... what's wrong? Did you have a ni..." Cheka was crying. Not the normal way he'd cry when he had a nightmare and wandered in his room if Leona wasn't around. It also took Frena a while to notice the trace of blood on his face. "What happened?!" He said as he looked around. His spouse wasn't around either.

"M... mommy came to check on me and we were talking be... because I didn't wanna sleep. T... then someone came into my room... Mommy sent me out and... and said go to daddy. B... but there was another guy outside... and a guard came to me... and the other guy sh... shot him..." Cheka's voice was cracking with every word, his heart aching as he was becoming more aware of the reality surrounding him.

Frena too was struggling to accept everything. He knew exactly what was happening and why it was happening. He warned his father! He argued with the counsel for hours! and now his family was in danger. What about Leona? Was _he_ okay? Was Ruggie okay?

"Come on, let's go protect our home." He hugged his son tightly and prayed for Leona to stay out of trouble. To just rescue himself and Ruggie and don't come to the palace.

But of course, he did. They met as soon as he reached the main hall. Leona and Ruggie were just standing, and on the ground laid their father's body, with a sword in his chest. There was one more person present in the room. Their aunt who was smiling despite being caught red-handed. "Oh my, look at you both! All grown up. Is that your son? He's sweet. It's rather unfortunate that I have to get rid of you."

Frena stayed silent, only hiding Cheka's face in his chest. He looked at his younger brother who was standing there ready to snap. What should he do? What were the guards doing? He could give Cheka to Ruggie and ask them to run, but could he protect Leona in the meanwhile? How strong was Lilian exactly? 

"This isn't time to space out, both of you!"


	3. I'm Counting On You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It all happens way too fast for anyone to get a hold of themself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw//death  
> Though you know this if you've read the tags. Just a warning though.

The brothers were back to reality with Ruggie's scream. 

They both chuckled, most likely for different reasons, and stepped closer to their enemy. "Ruggie!" Leona called. "Protect Cheka in any way you can, we'll handle the old bitch!" Ruggie laughed and pulled Cheka into his arms, smiling at Frena as a reassurance. Frena smiled back. "Leona! Language!"

No matter how you looked at it, that was a moment of hope. The brothers bonding after those many years and protecting their home and their people and, of course, avenging their loved ones. They were the two most powerful people Ruggie had ever met. That's why he never imagined things ending up like this.

Frena was dead. He died receiving the attack meant fr Ruggie and Cheka. His bad habits of not thinking when it came to his loved ones finally got the best of him, he didn't notice that Ruggie had already dodged the attack. His body moving on its own. Even Lilian looked shocked at whatever had just happened. She just stood there and watched as Leona rushed to embrace his brother, forgetting to even attack.

Frena smiled at Leona. "I guess you were right, I'm wasn't fit to be the king, huh?" Blood was running down his face and his stomach. Leona didn't even need to look for long to realize most of his lower half was damaged and he wouldn't live no matter what. He looked up at Ruggie who had a familiar look on his face. The face he had when he saw a dying animal or plant; as if he could smell death coming for it. Cold and just sad.

"Take good care of these two and everyone else. Okay?" Frena tried to mess with Leona's hair like when they were children, but he couldn't keep his arms up in the air for long enough. "I'm sorry..." was his last sentence as his arm fell and his soul left his body. 

There was no time for mourning or self-pity. There was no time to think. Leona just snapped. He had one objective: KILL. The woman had already died the most painful deaths countless times in his head, he only needed to bring one of them into reality. How dared she mess up everything he had worked hard to obtain? He thought of the places he wanted to visit with Ruggie as he hunted her down in the hallways; he thought of the gifts he wanted to buy Cheka as he grabbed her by her hair; rethought of all the games he wanted to play with Frena as he sliced her throat. He thought of his family, of all the times he didn't say sorry, of all the times he didn't say how much he loved them.

That's why he decided to kill her quickly; because he still had people to protect. Because he didn't want to scare the people who would come to clean the palace, because he wanted to go back to Ruggie as clean as possible and hug him tightly for hours. He didn't need to cry. Or maybe he did. How do you tell? Is it by the way your throat itches and your body feels numb? Or maybe the way you can't see clearly, the way your heart hurts and your chest feels heavy.

The ex princess was dead. The old men's ignorance had led to way too many unnecessary sacrifices, but the people were safe and secure, a true coup d'etat wouldn't be over so easily. Why didn't they realize this? Why was this the first solution when Frena was putting all his efforts into improving the lives of the citizens and do the right thing? What did he have to go? _'This shouldn't have had happened...'_

Leona went back to find Ruggie holding a sleeping Cheka in his arms, far away from Frena's corpse. Ruggie noticed Leona approaching and smiled in relief. His smile was all Leona needed to collect his mind. Ruggie's worried and forced smile, Leona had to fix it. He embraced both of them and started breathing into Ruggie's neck, calming himself. He heard the guards getting closer to them. He heard them talking to Ruggie but he couldn't sort out their words. Why couldn't he think? Why Frena and his father's faces wouldn't leave his sight?

"Leona-san, it's okay," Ruggie whispered into his ears like a lullaby. Was he casting a spell on him? Did he do the same thing to Cheka to put him to sleep? Surprisingly, he was okay with that. "Rest for a while. You can become responsible tomorrow."

And those were the last thing Leona heard before falling into absolute darkness.

**********

The guards brought Cheka and Leona into a safe place as Ruggie stayed to make sure everything was okay. First thing, he went to talk to Jack, Jamil, and Silver who had come to see the situation. A literal coup d'etat isn't something you can hide from the public, but those three were the only ones Ruggie could trust to let into the palace. "Sorry to keep you waiting! How's-"

"Ruggie-senpai! What happened?! I came as soon as I could but they didn't let me in!" Jack shouted. Ah, that's right. They told him Jack had been there since before the king's death, but they didn't let him in because he was suspicious. How ridiculous, if Jack was there maybe things would turn out differently. "Calm down. I have to explain it to all of you. Though, Silver-kun, I'm surprised to see you here." He wore a mask of friendliness and pretended this meeting wasn't mostly political. The Asim family and Malleus wanted to know where they stood. Worrying about their friends came second in line.

"Lilia-sama sent me as soon as he sensed some disturbances. Please tell us what happened, I need to get back as soon as possible." Silver said, following it with a yawn. Was he cursed or something?

"It's nothing, really. It was an unsuccessful coup d'etat, more or less. I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to say but I will tell you the most important part. The king, Frena Kingscholar, is dead. We're waiting for Leona-san to regain his energy and decide on what to do. Whatever else you wanna know needs to wait. I'm not really allowed to make decisions and it just happens that I was the only person here who knew what to do and didn't go completely crazy from seeing some dead people. Oh yeah, a lot of those rich bastards are dead too. They attacked everyone's home, including us. But yeah that's mostly it. If you want anything more wait for Leona-san." With that, Ruggie shut his mouth and stared at their shocked faces. Were they surprised because Ruggie said all of that so casually, or because he had handled everything so well despite knowing close to nothing about politics?

Either way, he wished he could take a picture.

"Jack-kun, you can come with me and look after prince Cheka. It's still dangerous." They said goodbye the Jamil and Silver and Ruggie showed Jack where Cheka was. It was almost 3 pm, about the time for Leona to wake up as well.


	4. Take It Like A Grown Up!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings and shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late chapter lol. Busy week and the whole Halloween thing.

The country was safe, the person who killed the king was already dead, and (as far the public was concerned) there was no mystery left. In the palace, on the other hand, was absolute chaos. Most of the important people were dead and half of the ones alive were already arrested for helping with the coup d'etat. But the people left were trustworthy and strong. And after seeing how Ruggie single-handedly dealt with everything on the next day, now they were showing great respect to both Ruggie and Leona.

The couple themself, on the other hand, returned to Leona's room as they were free. Well, they weren't. Cheka wouldn't leave his room and refused to eat, and it wasn't like Leona had much appetite either. They climbed on the bed and Leona held Ruggie in his arms for hours. Not moving, not talking, he seemed to just want to stay close. As for Ruggie... he didn't know how to feel. He was never found of Leona's parents and both Frena and his spouse seemed too distant for him. Maybe he could've considered them family if they had spent more time together. But for now, he just felt sad for Leona and Cheka. Leona was always unstable when he was upset. He would growl and yell at anyone who'd dare to disturb him. But now he was just quite. He did everything Ruggie told him and even now that they were alone he was just staring at the wall. He reminded Ruggie of the time he had nightmares of his mom's dead body; he would be too scared and too ashamed to go to his grandmother and open up to her. He would just stay in bed until sleep win over his eyes.

_'I guess it's the same.'_

"Hey, Ruggie." Leona finally said, his voice almost cracked. "Do you wanna go somewhere? Anywhere? I'll take you." Ruggie tried to turn and face Leona but gave up when Leona held him tighter. "If you wanna run away just be honest. Though for the first time running away doesn't seem to be the option." Leona chuckled. It sounded even more bitter than his insults. "I heard Jack was here. Did you make him work?"

"Oh yeah! You have no idea how scared the little puppy was after seeing the palace like this." Ruggie's attempt at humor was successful. Leona wasn't someone to run away from traumatizing stuff, you just had to make it easier for him to face it. "The said puppy is four times your size! But yeah, I think there was a little too much blood for him to handle." They both laughed. Ruggie finally turned away to face Leona, surprised to see his eyes wet with tears. Even though his voice didn't give it away. "Do we have to be mean to every single person that is close to us?" He put his left hand on Leona's cheek, tracing the tear falling. "I don't know. But it's fun." And he finally let go. He stopped smirking, closed his eyes, and cried. Ruggie just stayed silent for a while, admiring the sad lion. He liked the vulnerable parts of Leona the most, the parts only he could see.

"Remember when we made Azul cry?" Leona laughed in between his tears. "Yeah... I had no idea he could get that frustrated." Ruggie's smile widened. He brought his hand up and started massaging Leona's ears, making him purr. "He legit started crying! I wonder if we go there and remind him how he was screaming _gIVe mE POwEr_ he'd start crying again. Actually never mind. Floyd-Kun is scary."

"He is..." Leona whispered, Ruggie noticed that he had stopped crying. "How's the brat?" _'See? He's slowly getting back up.'_ Ruggie thought. Although, he wouldn't mind Leona resting and dealing with his feelings a little while longer. He probably needed it. "The same as you! None of you ate anything ever since... and it's making everyone worried. You're a selfish cat but he's a small child, I don't know how long he can keep this up." Ruggie was right. Cheka was certainly spoiled, and it was partly Leona's fault as well, and it's not like he has ever had to deal with these sorts of situations. He should go and be beside him. "... Ten more minutes."

"I give you twenty, now close your eyes." Leona nodded and buried his nose in Ruggie's hair. His hair smelt expensive, he probably didn't have the time to go back home and wash all the blood.

Leona always wondered what would've happened if he had gone too far in NRC? How would he live if he hadn't met Ruggie? The boy who ate everything that wouldn't poison him, the boy who casually stole from people like it wasn't a big deal. The boy who could kill someone if given the chance. Too bad they couldn't have their vacation, he wanted to buy Ruggie different stuff from everywhere and show him every famous restaurant that had a delicious meal. 

Ruggie's voice disrupted his train of thoughts. "Leona-san, I feel like I _need_ to say this right now. Though, I'm mostly saying it to myself. Our life will be very different from now on, but I'm not planning on running away. And I want you to face it like a grown-up too. We're not students anymore, you can't just do something and expect everything to be back to normal the next day. Please, if we can make a difference, let's do it properly.

**********

It didn't take much to cheer Cheka up, he cried as soon as he saw Leona and was back on his feet the next day. Though, sometimes he'd stare at a wall for a few minutes and talk to no one. With his eyes empty and face expressionless. 

One thing Ruggie didn't like about the old people in the console was how they always did things for something other then the purpose they told people. Weddings, ceremonies, and even funerals always had another purpose. So maybe Ruggie was happy they died, now Leona and Cheka could mourn without it being a political show-off. The two of them were left alone at the end of the ceremony, while Ruggie snuck around to find out things he wasn't told.

"Prince Leona... It was my first time seeing him with that look in his eyes. So he really did care for the late king and his family." "Prince Cheka wouldn't leave his side, so it's true that they're close... I heard so many stupid rumors about them. Glad they were false now that the child only has his uncle left." "You know I'm also glad Leona-Sama had Ruggie-Kun with him. I've seen him around, he's a good kid. The children seem to like him too." "Wait... Does that mean now Leona-Sama is the new king?" "A lion king with a hyena spouse? Is that even okay? I'd love to see it, though." 

There were a lot of talks. Mostly positive, surprisingly. They who doubted Leona were shut down by people who knew Ruggie. (Ruggie never knew he was _this_ popular!) But people were right to be anxious. Most of the people dealing with the country were dead and the ones left were too young or too inexperienced. But that might be a good thing.

He would never say it out loud, but he saw this as a good chance. He, no, they could really change stuff if they played their cards carefully. He didn't know how, but he bet Azul already had three contracts ready. "Meh, if Leona-San's the king, we'd have enough money." But what did Ruggie want? There wasn't a lot of problems they could solve in the short time before Cheka turning 18 and taking over the throne; unless... He had to call Lilia and ask him about rising a child. More specifically, a good king. Considering how good Malleus was doing.

"Ruggie!" Leona's voice echoed through the hall and Ruggie accepted it with a smile. "What's going on, Leona-San?" Leona hesitated a while before speaking. "Black looks good on you, but white looks better." "What?" Leona was blushing. Why was he blushing? White clothing? What????

Then it clicked.

"Leona-San, are you proposing?" Ruggie knew it would come sooner or later, now that he was going to be the king. "Like? Right now?"

"You know I can't deal with romantic shit. But if you say yes right now... My mind is gonna be more... um... at ease I guess." His ears were twitching. Wait, was that Cheka watching them from behind the wall? And white ears... When did Jack arrive?!

But like that, he couldn't refuse. He never thought about getting married. But Leona was the only one he'd like to spend the rest of his life with. And if it meant Leona would be calmer, if it meant that he could prevent others and himself from suffering more... Then why not?

"I mean, I thought it was a given. Yes! Of course!" He loved seeing Leona smile like that. 


	5. Plan B

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some secrets are revealed.

40 days after the king's death. The people are going back to their normal lives and the palace is getting ready to name Leona Kingscholar as their next king. Alongside his spouse, Ruggie, who was fitting right in; much to everyone's surprise. People brushed it off as the result of years living with Leona and spending some holidays in the palace. But Leona knew better. "You're having fun, huh?" He smirked as he approached his... fiance. God that felt weird to even think about. "I have so many duties and three escape roots for when one of us fucks up. It's not much different from when we were at NRC, just that no one calls me senpai." He laughed and melted into Leona's touch.

Leona stared at the mountain of papers in front of Ruggie. "Are these about the people that weren't arrested after the coup d'etat? Do we have any clues?" Even though they managed to get the council back up again (Somehow, this time with younger and seemingly wiser people) but Ruggie still wanted to deal with this one himself. Was it his trust issues? Or did he know something he just hadn't told Leona? "Hmmm... maybe? I'm not sure. It's getting too complicated."

"Tired?"

"Yeah..."

Leona smirked and grabbed Ruggie's hand to help him up, then carried him to their bed. "Then I don't know why you're still here." Ruggie looked around as they entered. It had been so many days and he wasn't used to it. They hadn't done it ever since, too sad and too busy. And he just couldn't get used to the royal life. The king's palace, the king's room, the king's bed. He felt like he didn't belong there. Guilt and unexplainable excitement washing over him as Leona took his shirt off. He thought of the coup d'etat as Leona kissed him, thought of the letter he received that morning as Leona's hands explored his body, and whispered into Leona's ears as he made his decision.

**_**********_ **

When Ruggie opened his eyes, it was already midnight. It wasn' exactly dark, as the full moon lightened the room. He stared at Leona's sleeping face for a while, admiring his now softened features. He didn't seem to be having nightmares, which was good.

He put on a shirt and walked onto the balcony. It was bigger than his grandmother's house. The thought made him smirk, how twisted of a fate.

"Oh, the expensive shit really does suit you." Ruggie flinched at the familiar voice. The voice he missed for years, yet consciously buried in his memories to never think of it again. He took a deep breath and turned around. "Nice seeing you again, ma'." The woman was almost as tall as Ruggie, her eyes and hair were identical to Ruggie's. One difference Ruggie notched though, was the unfamiliar scar on her face. "What happened?" He questioned, trying not to burst into tears.

"Oh, this? I don't remember. What, do you have a thing for scars? I mean I get it but I'm your mom, you know?" She laughed loudly, not caring if anyone would hear her. _'That's her unique magic.'_ Ruggie thought. She could make it so that only Ruggie saw and heard her. Not that she was invisible, more like she was just Ruggie's imagination. What a convenient talent for a thief who liked to prank people. "Enough about me. How are you? How's life been since I died?"

How was it, Ruggie wondered. He stared at her corpse for a full day before deciding that he needed to run away and hide from all the soldiers who were looking for him. "Do you feel betrayed now that you know I'm alive? Or are you happy to see me? You know, I wanted to bring you with me, but we couldn't find you. Not us, not the government. You got that skill from your grandma'. She ended up being the one who found you." The Ruggie back then didn't know why people were looking for him. He only knew that they let his mom die like that and he was scared of them. He ran away. Hidden in between large groups of people, back of the big trucks, and other children at the same age. This woman probably had no idea how many old men and women chased him down just because they could tell he had no one looking for him. ~~She had no idea how many had caught him.~~

"I've been a lot better than you think, considering where I'm standing right now." He smirked. Looking at her was like looking at his worst self in the mirror, it scared him. "Oh yeah, you managed to get a big one. Aren't you glad that we killed the others? Now you're up there, standing above everyone." She mockingly bowed to him. "You guys would make a cute family. It would be a shame if someone poisoned all of your meals, with only you miraculously surviving." She got closer to him.

"Yes, that _would_ be a shame," He glanced at the sleeping Leona. "But what if I refuse? What's your plan B? It's not like you could win if you killed me as well." She made a fake hurt expression in response. "Ruggie, honey, I'm not going to kill my own son! No matter what, we would never throw each other away. You understand that I took the easiest path to survive all the people chasing me down, and I know why you want power. I want the best for you, baby." Her voice was sweet and kind, like the times she used to whisper to Ruggie about how great hers and Ruggie's dad's love was, about how someday they'd rule the world. The voice that didn't suit the power-hungry woman standing in front of Ruggie.

"It's shame, ma'. I might've accepted your offer if you were better at your job." With that said, something around them broke. It looked like glass, but it was just the effect of someone's unique magic. Very helpful, he was surprised after learning someone with that talent had studied political science instead of making mountains of money by pursuing a career in entertainment. They made an illusion of a peaceful night around Ruggie and her mom, none of them noticed Leona standing next to her until now. 

Leona smirked. "This is why you always need a plan B. Oh, I'm the guy marrying your son, by the way. It's kinda your fault that we had to meet like this, though." Truth be told, Leona wanted to snap her neck and be done with it. From Ruggie's research, she was the one behind all of it. She failed years back because Lilian was too greedy and full of herself. She lived years in misery with his son and escaped alone and now she was back. Lilian's death was according to her plan, she wanted Ruggie to be the last man standing. Unfortunately, for her, she had miscalculated something. Ruggie wasn't the person she thought him to be.

Leona was observing Ruggie that whole time. He looked like that every time he tried not to cry. No one but Leona knew what Ruggie had been through, and he probably hated her more than Leona did. Nothing could make up for the trauma and pain Ruggie had to put up with. How dare she even assume Ruggie would take her back?

Arresting her wasn't easy, of course. She was more skilled and more experienced than most of them, but she was also older. Leona caught her after she had her fun playing with some soldiers. "I can't put up with this anymore, just take her away." He wasn't even paying attention. He just wanted to get back to Ruggie. Ruggie who was standing in a corner, staring at nothing. Leona grabbed his hand and took to the other room that was prepared for them. They cuddled for hours. Saying nothing, just with their eyes closed and their minds racing.

Eventually, Ruggie fell asleep. He dreamed of a quiet place, where only the two of them and the sea existed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ruggie you're my fav that's why you must suffer.  
> I know this might not make sense but it's just an idea I had for a while and was having fun imagining it. Not the angsty parts though. Only the parts about women being evil for no reason because we love to see it.
> 
> Yes, I am uncomfortably gay if you didn't know.


	6. Paid The Devil Twice As Much To Keep Your Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chek's point of view and a little story of that time someone tried to poison Leona

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will have two parts. So yeah, a cliff hanger. kinda~

It's amusing how your life can suddenly change. There's a point in your life that you realize you might as well grow up and from that point on, there's no turning back. Cheka knew his uncle hit that point so early in his life, and he had come to learn Ruggie had hit that point even earlier. Maybe that was why, but none of them let Cheka be like them. He was growing up and learning everything so fast. And yet, for the better or the worse, he was allowed to stay as he was. He wondered if that was how his father grew up as well.

Leona was the strongest person Cheka knew. He was sharp and intimidating, he didn't like working too much so he found the smartest and best solutions. He was sarcastic, witty, yet so loving and caring, even if he didn't like showing it. He even had Ruggie by his side (which Cheka didn't like when he was younger, his childish crush faded s the years passed on, though) to keep him calm and collected, and they did everything to keep Cheka safe.

Ruggie was the second strongest person Cheka knew. He chose to stay even when he didn't have to, and he kept amusing both Cheka and his uncle with new tricks up his sleeves. 

The first two years weren't easy. A lot of people wanted Leona dead because he wasn't easy to manipulate. Instead, Cheka would've been the perfect puppet to use and throw away when things got out of hand. They spread rumors, caused problems, and even attacked Leona. Mostly unsuccessful, of course. But once, and only that one time, they managed to get close enough to poison Leona.

Cheka remembers seeing Ruggie stand in next to the bed Leona was sleeping in. He was staring at his husband's face, which was twitching with pain, but his mind clearly wasn't there. Cheka secretly followed him. Usually, he would be found out, but Ruggie was too focused on something else to notice him. He went out of the palace, ran around the town 'till they reached a dirty ally. Cheka knew Ruggie's neighborhood and this place wasn't there. Then, where was it? It was dirtier, scarier, and he could smell blood. Still, Cheka swallowed his fear and kept following Ruggie.

He saw Ruggie entering a building from the second floor, but couldn't follow him right away. He could hear people from inside, could see the weak light, could sense the danger. Should he really be here? Would Ruggie be okay? Wouldn't it be better if he just went back and called for the guards? Why did he just leave his phone in Leona's room before following Ruggie?

Still, his curiosity got the best of him. The boy looked around the building and found a door that had a small window on the top. He wasn't tall enough to see well but still could manage if he jumped. Just as he was about to try and see if he could break the door with magic, the lights went on and he heard Ruggie's voice. "I knew it was you guys. What? Were you jealous or something?"

Cheka saw a one-eyed fox and two large bears as he jumped again. He heard someone talking and he suspected it being the fox since he had a boss-like attitude. "Jealous? You were just a street rat and that's exactly what you'll always be. All of us are still shocked, you know? How you managed to make the second _brat_ fell in love with you like that, and you even got rid of everyone who might stand in your way. Please don't act like it wasn't you! You even used your assumingly dead mother! I respected your grandmother, and I'm willing to show the same amount of respect to you. I know we had our... differences in the past, but we can still work together. Don't worry about the king, I made sure I wouldn't kill him to show my generosity. So, what do you say?"

Cheka jumped one more time. Ruggie's eyes were burning with anger, and now there were more people in the room. "You sell children! You use people however you like to satisfy your disgusting customers', and yourself's, disgusting desires! I bet you were upset when we punished all those old people who participated in the coup d'etat since you lost most of your customers. You know what? I'm glad for this opportunity! Now I can slice your throat!"

The fox giggled. "Listen, child! You better move on from your past before it hunts you down. I might've done some... _questionable_ things to you and your friends, but didn't you all get paid? And your grandmother already made sure I won't go near any children ever again." Cheka saw the fox pointing at his eye as he jumped once again. This was getting exhausting, but he was getting more and more curious. He was old enough to get they were doing horrible things to children, but not quite understood what exactly they meant."

"Oh, and one more thing, since we're talking about children..." Cheka froze as the door slowly opened and he was met with Ruggie's horrified expression. "Oh well, what a surprise, your majesty!" The fox giggled to himself and put his hands around Ruggie's shoulders. "See? You should be more careful. We could just get rid of both of you right here, or you could listen to my plans. You don't even know why I wanted us to be friends! Unless you want me to get rid of only him, which I'd gladly do!"

It was the second time the prince didn't know what to do. The fox had just suggested Ruggie could be untrustworthy. What if he was? What if he wasn't and Cheka made any sort of wrong decision? Should he run? Would he be able to run? Everyone seemed ready to attack him, what if something happened to Ruggie because of him? He wanted to apologize, to fake-threaten the fox-like his uncle did whenever he was at a disadvantage. But his voice wouldn't come out. This was even scarier than that night, somehow. 

"Cheka-Kun," Ruggie's voice brought him back. "Run as fast as you can. And whatever you hear, don't look back." Cheka's legs worked faster than his bain and he started running. He could hear the fox shouting from behind. "Catch that little shi- Gyaaahhh!" Cheka decided not to think much of the scream and keep running. The screams faded as he ran.

After what felt like years of running, he bumped into a familiar figure. "Oi! Cheka!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys sorry for the late update. I slept about 8 hours on the three days I had exams and then slept for twelve hours straight when it was over. I still have two more next week and tons of homework but wanted to get this out before I'm busy again. Thanks for reading and sorry if this chapter is bad school is stressing me out lol.


	7. Please Come Pick Me Up(Or Don't)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one will ever dare to touch the royal family after this. Not for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was supposed to be asleep lol but I guess not.  
> Anyway have a weirdass chapter

After what felt like years of running, he bumped into a familiar figure. "Oi! Cheka!" 

The young prince looked up to see his uncle. He was clearly in pain and not in his normal state. Cheka remembers seeing him like this back then, too. Tired, just so tired, but not ready to give up. Leona's determined face was the last thing he saw before Ruggie putting him to sleep.

_Ruggie._

"Oji-tan! R.. Ruggie! He..." He felt as if someone was choking him. His voice was caught in his throat and he wanted to throw up. Did this place always smelt this much of blood? Disgustingly fresh blood. It was filling his nose and his stomach with fear. Leona placed his hand on his head, trying to calm him down. "Just point out where he is." Cheka raised his finger and Leona nodded. "Okay. Stay here and wait for me, tell everyone else to wait as well."

And with that, he disappeared. It didn't take more than a minute for the soldiers to reach where Cheka was, and he mindlessly repeated the king's order, too distracted by the smell and the nostalgia.

**_**********_ **

Disgusting, _disgusting_ smell of blood. It smelled even worse in a dirty place like this. Leona gt irritated every time he remembered Ruggie spent most of his life in places like this. Even worse, he came here often to collect information. He didn't trust anyone else and wouldn't let Leona go with him. His disguise was perfect, Leona had to give him that, but he could easily get into trouble and Leona wouldn't even know where to look for him.

He didn't like how their relationship had changed in the past few years. Ruggie acted normal, but he didn't feel normal. He was used to overworking himself, but that was exactly what Leona wanted to save Ruggie from. He wanted to give his husband a comfortable life, not to make him die from exhaustion and stress. Still, Ruggie made good arguments and Leona couldn't convince him to stop. At least this could be an excuse.

He was so shocked to hear Ruggie and Cheka were missing. Why Cheka? There was no way that Ruggie would just take him. Did he follow Ruggie? Was it an unrelated incident at a very bad time? 

He wasn't sure to feel lucky or not when he found Cheka around the place he suspected Ruggie to be. Worse, he smelt fresh blood from the direction Cheka was running from.

Was he concerned for Ruggie? Not really. Years of living together had taught Leona that his husband had the highest survival rate in between all of their friends. He could survive almost anything. And to him surviving always meant winning.

He found Ruggie in a rather strange building. The front door was locked but the back door was broken into pieces. There was nothing inside other than some broken furniture, the walls and the floor on the first floor were filled with blood, but there were no corpses to be seen. Suspicious.

He walked up to find all the missing corpses on the second floor, piled up to form a small mountain. "What the hell happened here?" 

"Leona-san?! What are you doing out of bed?" Leona's train of thought was caught off by Ruggie coming towards him, dragging a fox by his tail on the floor. "Why no one does their job? I mean... I guess you can't tell the king what to do, now can you? But please listen to me, okay?" He smiled; as if his clothes weren't torn apart, as if his left arm didn't look completely broken; as if he was okay.

Leona didn't say anything. He just slowly grabbed Ruggie's hand and squeezed it until he let go of the fox's lifeless body. Then he embraced Ruggie, warm and loving, as if everything was okay. Like when they lived on their own, without anyone disturbing them. Leona never thought he'd be king, and never thought he'd miss the day he wasn't. But there they were, standing next to the enemies Ruggie had destroyed, knowing well enough there was no turning back.

No, Ruggie knew this from the start, that's why he never ran away. Leona, despite knowing, never truly understood it. They did everything together, and all it took was for Ruggie to leave his side. That was all that took for Leona to notice how everything was serious. Still, he was doing a great job until then, wasn't he?

The only importance this realization had was the fact that he now understood Ruggie. And could stop him from hurting himself. "I'll go back if you promise not to do anything by yourself from now on. Any funny business and you have to tell me first."

"That's not fair," Ruggie chuckled. "You never keep your promises..." Leona easily picked him up and walked them both downstairs. "True, but I'm the king."

"Put me down, you're sick."

"You're injured. And don't change the subject."

They stared into each other's eyes for a while. With Leona winning their staring contest, Ruggie finally gave up. "Fine," He pouts. "But you have to get proper rest when we get back." Leona walked both of them outside, smirking with victory. "Deal, but you're not gonna work either."

Ruggie sighed. Was this normal? It felt normal. Just these few moments after the chaos is over, these undisturbed moments with only two of them were exactly what formed their relationship. Messed up, but calm and warm. 

That was ever he ever needed, really.

"Ruggie!!!" He heard Cheka's crying before seeing him. But his eyes were too heavy to answer. He could leave this to Leona and sleep for a while. He did good, didn't he? 


	8. Maybe We Are Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jump to the future. A better one.

"Good morning, Leona-san." Leona opened his eyes to the same smile he's been seeing every day for these past years. Ruggie always woke up first, got himself ready, and woke Leona up (because after all these years it was still hard for anyone else to wake the king up) and smiled at him. A bright, gorgeous smile that made Leona want to do better. Ironically, he liked it when Ruggie smiled at him because he was doing a good job. Maybe getting older was changing him back to a little kid. Or maybe Ruggie was just good at spoiling him.

It was the same for Ruggie. He woke up to Leona slowly snoring (and occasionally purring) next to him. They used to both wake up in the middle of the night because of nightmares. But now they slept safely and soundly. That was enough. 

There were moments of disaster, stress, and anger; of course. When they fought yelled at each other for hours. Sometimes it ended with them making up, but other times Ruggie ignored Leona for days until he'd agree to listen. Those were the most stressful days for everybody else in the palace since the king's temper would become short and he'd get moody. Even Ruggie would get easily irritated on those days. 

But that was how they dealt with each other. It wasn't completely healthy (or maybe it was, who knows) but it was how they made it. They managed the nation perfectly but they weren't perfect. They both were flawed people who spent years trying to heal each other, and it seemed that they've been doing well.

Now that Cheka was 23, he was ready to become the king. Everyone thought Leona would throw a tantrum, even Cheka himself was ready to back down, but when Cheka got home after graduation, Leona was already packing his bags. "He said _'we're going to the vacation we never got to go back then'_ so I agreed I guess?" Ruggie laughed, trying to mimic Leona. "Really, he was waiting for you. He even got mad at me when I said 18 is still very young to let someone become the king and we should let you do something with your life before picking up your duties as a king." 

They were walking in the streets of Ruggie's former home, now lively and happy. There was no longer the smell of blood in the air, only the smell of food and sweets from the shops nearby. Everyone there knew Ruggie and Cheka and wouldn't treat them differently, so Ruggie liked taking a walk there before visiting his grandmother's grave every weekend.

"Still, do you think I'm ready? I knew this day would come but it just seemed so unreal! Besides, there's still something I didn't get to do..." Chek truly looked like a miserable kitten, it made Ruggie chuckle. "What? You wanted to become the king after Leona-san dies? Please, don't make that face. I'm simply telling you the truth. The work isn't easy, kid. It's better to have us beside you. We can forgive you and help you when you make a mistake. You got to live a full life and learn everything needed before this, now you need experience. We did a good job, at least I like to think we did, but you have to do better."

Cheka nodded. He agreed with everything Ruggie said, but becoming the king would be a burden for him and for whoever he'd want to spend his life with. He remembers what Ruggie went through, he wonders if the person he was thinking about would also suffer as much. "Also, if you want _him_ , just go and say it to his face. Don't worry about the rest of it." Ruggie laughed as they reached the grave. It was next to an old tree, near Ruggie's (now destroyed) old home.

"Hm... Maybe I should..." Cheka sat down next to Ruggie and just absorbed his conversation with his dead grandmother. He talked as if she was there; as if she was listening. Cheka got to see his parents once when he was in NRC. They came to him as ghosts on Halloween. They told him they loved him and were proud of him. His father told him to tell Leona he was proud of him too, and then they vanished. Maybe for the better.


	9. It's Always Been Just You And Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheka trying to win himself a date before his busy days start and LeoRuggie just being fluff ready to get the hell out of there!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so...  
> The last chapter was supposed to be longer but my dumbass accidentally posted it so...  
> Sorry  
> 

"Leona-san! Just because everyone's taking it easy before preparing for the celebration doesn't mean you get to not do your job." Ruggie said, as he desperately tried to get out of the king's arms. Leona growled. "You were cuter when you just cursed like it was no one's business. I mean you did curse last night bu-" His sentence was cut short with a pillow hitting his face, as Ruggie finally escaped. "And I thought you'd age like wine, but you stayed a teenager."

"I can't tell if you're insulting me or complimenting me for my handsomeness and youth."

"Youth my ass! Get up!" Leona, happy with the result, finally got out of bed. He wouldn't usually tase Ruggie this much (or even sleep this late) but this was a rest well earned. He's been king for years, and the last years seriously had him wondering why he ever wanted the throne, and it was coming to an end. By the start of the new year, Cheka would be the king. And Leona would take Ruggie to the trip they never went. He never forgot about it even once. He would even _admit_ to being excited about it.

"Where's Cheka anyway?" He yawned as he asked. Ruggie's laughter filled his ears. "My, didn't he tell you? He's trying to get a date~"

"What do you mean _'trying'_? He just has to ask the person, right?" Leona seemed seriously confused, it made Ruggie smirk. "I'm not letting you forget the emotional roller coaster that was our relationship! Don't be hard on him, Leona-san. Let him have his fluff." When did talking about it become this easy? When did they start laughing at all the sad and scarring emotions they felt inside? They've been together for so long and could only trust each other, somehow it had become inevitable. They were both assholes about it (of course) but then again, that was how it was.

"What was that guy's name again?"

"Giona. I think he said he's a Lynx. They were classmates at NRC, but he was in Octavinelle."

"Ugh, not another one of those." Ruggie giggled at Leona's irritation. Azul had always been a great help to them, but his prices got higher and higher; so Leona understandably didn't like the Octavinelle people. 

Cheka, on the other hand, was filled with joy as his favorite ex-Octavinelle student sat in front of him. Giona's style was always so minimalistic but somehow seemed complicated. Was it alright for Cheka to think he put extra effort whenever they met? He liked the sound of it. "Shouldn't you be busy with preparations?" Giona asked casually while giving his order. They always met at a cafe next to Giona's workplace. He had started working as soon as he finished magical university and was already a successful businessman. Coincidentally, it was another one of the businesses ran by former Octavinelle dorm leader and now business owner/rumored mafia boss/married to a certain eel who's rumored to be the son of another dangerous person from under the sea; so maybe Azul was just nice with his kouhai.

Though, Cheka knew the truth. Azul wasn't nice to anyone if it didn't profit him, and Giona wouldn't be a profit if he wasn't good at his job. Azul himself was 100% a dangerous person (Cheka was old enough to know almost everyone he knew was some sort of criminal) and his husband, the charming man named Floyd who always had candy in his pocket, was also dangerous. None of them were as scary as Jade, but that's a story he wouldn't even want to remember. "Ruggie asked me to relax while I have time."

"And... You came to see me?" Giona blushed. Did he? Maybe not, but Cheka liked to think he did. "Of course, who else would I want to see?" He casually smiled. Cheka was old enough to know forevers and soulmates weren't exactly common. Even Leona and Ruggie didn't seem to have that sort of dynamic while being the perfect match for each other. Hence, Cheka didn't want to take things too fast.

Even so, thinking about the future seemed tempting.

"Well," Giona coughed. "I guess it's alright. You were raised by _that_ king and _that_ Ruggie-sama; you'll be fine." He smiled at Cheka. The heat from his coffee (when did their drinks arrive?) blurred his glasses and that made Cheka giggle. Even almost-blind, Giona pouted at Cheka's reaction.

"To be honest, I'm a little bit worried. I'm not exactly like them, I'm not even like my dad. It doesn't feel.. real. I'm too used to watching it from afar. I had my duties as a prince and I learned the things needed. Still, I'm not sure." _'Ughh... I'm sulking. Such a king...'_ Cheka thought, ready to brush it off with a joke.

"I think you'd do alright." Giona's words were simple. "I think... you're a good leader. You're kind, and you have a sense of justice, but you're also strong-headed. The guys back in school liked you. I, too, like you." His face started heating up as the realization hit him. Cheka's face was also getting red, but he grinned. "C... can I hear that one more time"

"Shut up..."

"Is that how you talk to your king?" Cheka teased more. "But, it's kinda unfair. I wanted to say it first." It made Giona laugh. "It's not a competition!"

Somewhere, near the cafe they were sitting, free smug faces were making sure to record all of it. "Wow~ That was cheezy!" Floyd giggled, sending the recording to Leona. "I agree with Floyd, it's too much fluff for me." Jade nodded, also giggling.

Azul just cringed, not wanting to hear the rest of the _new_ royal couple's painful flirting. "That's definitely enough for me. How do these people get into NRC? I think Jamil-san's theory was right. That headmaster just chooses randomly."

"Why are we here anyway?~ Didn't he specifically threatened us that we'd become 'dead fishes' if we cause trouble for them? Azul, you usually don't take this kind of risk." Floyd asked, slowly placing his head on his husband's shoulder, feeling happy when Azul's face got all excited. "That's the catch in that! Sending it to that king himseşf should be no problem. This might come in handy, considering he doesn't accept _favors_ from us anymore-"

"Ah, he answered." The there of them looked down on Floyd's phone, seeing the lion's replay. "Well, that's rude." Just a middle finger emoji, but the trio could hear Leona in their heads, telling them to _'fuck off'_.

Still, Leona listened to the recording. He was going to stay on the part where Cheka told what was on his mind. But the cringy (and kinda cute) conversation afterward had more impact. Was he like that when he was a teenager? He couldn't remember. He could have the same exact exchange with Ruggie and make it less awkward. Probably. "He did it." He called out for his husband, who was busy looking through some papers. "He seemed so determined, I knew he would."

"You sound like a proud mother.

"You sound like a disappointed father." They both giggled at the weird exchange. But Leona's mind was running wild again. "But since we've got nothing else to do... Wanna have a baby?" Ruggie's jaw dropped. "A what?!"

"A baby. Those small stupid things-"

"I know what a baby is! Why?" Leona liked that reaction. Nowadays it was harder to get that out of Ruggie. "Why not. We're already experts. I want a girl. A girl would be cute. And that lizard bastard would stop shoving his daughter into everyone's face." It earned a sigh from Ruggie. "So that's why you want a baby. I'm not letting you use my daughter like that."

"So you agree to the idea."

"I don't disagree. But first, let's make sure the other one does his job correctly." He sighed once more as he returned to his papers. His ears slowly twitching to the idea. Leona got up and hugged Ruggie from behind.

A new life seemed promising.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, that's the end of the journey. Will they adopt? Is this secretly a Mpreg fic? Both seemed nice so I'm just leaving it to you guys.  
> Thanks for reading all this time. I don't usually end my longer fics (Sorry to all my Loki fans who are left there hanging) but I had so much fun with this. Also, sorry if it got a little messy at the end. My dad's getting married (it feels weird to say, lol), and I'm stressed about how tf am I going to get to college with this dumb of a brain.  
> Anyway~ I hope you liked it. Feel free to check my other stuff I guess? I write too much LeoRuggie lol.  
> Anyway Byeeeee! Have a nice day!


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